tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81398645119948191322024-03-05T02:54:06.690-08:00Blot Your Lips! beautifully set ablazeShay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-10028995586637328772015-09-05T01:20:00.002-07:002015-09-07T14:00:53.998-07:00Diary of a Mad Black Actor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-TDCGOjEWWIWGOpFhujOXi7rJnNJUeUd8MmDZB4dFLzv_m_qCyObFIslb9Jky66b3uM0XHsiH4iDENC-xgEbtwgBb_vIqU7b2ZI2yia4iskEgUEFsdZ-RN2SChpJY5rgzLh5VU05zj0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-TDCGOjEWWIWGOpFhujOXi7rJnNJUeUd8MmDZB4dFLzv_m_qCyObFIslb9Jky66b3uM0XHsiH4iDENC-xgEbtwgBb_vIqU7b2ZI2yia4iskEgUEFsdZ-RN2SChpJY5rgzLh5VU05zj0/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Francesca <a href="http://www.xoxocesca.com/">www.xoxocesca.com</a></td></tr>
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The pain of a throbbing big toe woke me in the middle of the night. I didn't even know I'd hurt it running until it felt like a searing hot iron touched to tender skin.<br />
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I stifle tears, praying away the sharp ache. Sleepless and disturbed, the physical pain oddly unlocks a hidden vault - in my heart.<br />
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I thought of a recent conversation with a director.</div>
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"You don't seem angry," he said.</div>
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"I'm not," I answered, puzzled. The script hadn't called for the character to be mad.</div>
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"I thought all black women were angry," he stated.</div>
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Really? Just because I'm black? </div>
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Awakened by pain, my heart began to speak. I. am. angry. Raging. burning. achingly mad. </div>
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Because you don't see me when you are creating projects. It doesn't even occur to you that your cast is full of faces that look like Taylor Swift's.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Your lips..." the makeup artist says to me, uncomfortably.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"What about them?" I ask, naively.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She struggles to explain. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Let me show you how to make them look smaller, um, not so....dark. They don't bother me," she wants me to understand, "But the director might want you to...do something about them."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She uses concealer to completely cover my lips. Then redraws a smaller outline with a light brown pencil. Fills them in with dewey lipstick.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Smaller. Lighter. Pinker.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Now you can do it yourself....if you get complaints."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Humiliated. I am camera ready.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Praying that my hair and makeup don't rebel under the hot lights, I deliver my lines through the new, less offensive lips.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At home, I scrub off the fake face. There they are: full, dark, bold lips. I get them from my daddy. His are nearly black; soft. He once told me that as a young man he thought he was ugly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Guess no one ever showed him how to draw a mask over his face...</span><br />
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I try to smile at the reflection in the mirror. <br />
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Raging. burning. aching pain.<br />
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Because you demand my gratitude at creating this mask. Require my devotion for a minute on the screen. Expect my admiration at what a saint you are for casting a sister.<br />
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"Yes, massa, you a good man."<br />
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On set, I make jokes to ease the tension of being the token black. We don't know how to act around each other.<br />
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You're afraid of me...hiding it behind an embrace, telling everyone, "Look, isn't she beautiful?" like a trophy on display.<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I can tell you're irritated that I've invaded your space; that my mere presence demands...something. You quickly insert me in a scene. Feed me a few lines, or feature me prominently.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So that no one can accuse you of being racist.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I can tell you're upset. Because my look, my skin - the color of roasted coffee - "pulls focus" against the spray tans. blondes. blue eyes.</span><br />
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I want to go to sleep. Tomorrow I'll smile again through the painted-on pink lips...so that you don't reject me as just another mad, black actor.<br />
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Like the suppressed energy of an earthquake that splits the ground open and quickly diffuses, the raging, burning, aching pain settles back into its vault.<br />
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Quiet on the set, please.</div>
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Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-58411612025653375712014-12-02T23:16:00.001-08:002015-06-22T14:53:45.676-07:00Website Launch! Blog Moving<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkHXxbmDKUloM00eVYp2c037r2vNdrvfhwB0eXzM4GhVAH3xzs-N16dez6WeGGlFHjF0M9jAI5B4TbCl2w__FEeH-09w56FcF0AqiWrF-pkX87cGlbPGsnekp3uGlHCnPA-R8ETASEs8/s1600/photo+1(8).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkHXxbmDKUloM00eVYp2c037r2vNdrvfhwB0eXzM4GhVAH3xzs-N16dez6WeGGlFHjF0M9jAI5B4TbCl2w__FEeH-09w56FcF0AqiWrF-pkX87cGlbPGsnekp3uGlHCnPA-R8ETASEs8/s1600/photo+1(8).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shay's blog moving to www.shayholland.com</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Beyond excited to share that I've launched my new <a href="http://www.shayholland.com/" target="_blank">website</a>! That means I've moved my blog there. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I can't tell you how much it has meant to have your support as I've been writing here these last few years. While I won't be posting here after this month, my new website will better showcase my entertainment industry work for casting directors and others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I have a sense of big things coming very soon and can't wait to share them with you. May you be blessed beyond measure, pressed down, spilling over this holiday season!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><a href="http://www.shayholland.com/blotyourlips/" target="_blank"><b>Shay's new blog:</b></a> <u><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.shayholland.com/">www.shayholland.com</a></span></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/shayholland" target="_blank"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Twitter: </b></span></a> <u>www.twitter.com/shayholland</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>p.s. hit me up on Twitter and I'll follow you back! </i></span></div>
Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-58860382050636724912014-11-21T10:40:00.004-08:002014-11-22T20:37:02.517-08:00Chris Hemsworth - What to Look for in a Man<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFpqsxn5oGsk_hDuLODVUg_B3i55n_4eLlu6USQUeyveTcLxFOBC-ji5KV7Of1kNZcMIWhyphenhypheneRdExPZSx59HJ_zbuiGGeMvafXMVATqxTou1p54DaPelS-AZApcGixo1XRMaB-0gqmDrk/s1600/806a5db6f0c03c27_chris-hemsworth-435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFpqsxn5oGsk_hDuLODVUg_B3i55n_4eLlu6USQUeyveTcLxFOBC-ji5KV7Of1kNZcMIWhyphenhypheneRdExPZSx59HJ_zbuiGGeMvafXMVATqxTou1p54DaPelS-AZApcGixo1XRMaB-0gqmDrk/s1600/806a5db6f0c03c27_chris-hemsworth-435.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: People Magazine 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Today: this face on magazine stands around the world. Despite the <i>Twitter</i> chatter that other stars should have received the title, in my book Chris Hemsworth is the "<a href="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20315920_20873901,00.html" target="_blank">Sexiest Man Alive.</a>"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">He's even sexier in person. I had a chance to meet Chris last Oscar season at a screening for his film, <i>Rush, </i>hosted by the <i><a href="http://www.dga.org/" target="_blank">Directors Guild</a>.</i> The PR team emphatically stated Chris would not be signing autographs or taking photos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I happened to be in one of the front rows and before his handlers could whisk him off stage, Chris was taking selfies with us and signing pictures. Thor up close - sexy? Um, speechless. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OQUTD5PMKfF_J8SCH7HDp-jJzG-XhtNYPPlpBz0AfgyTZhb1mRM7M3NxRE3_EoWDDWhnGmedv_Bek1XkbkO26pyFVmQZnf3crGIHIKjkhLN0aC83Oe5l8U6wH8TWDmkBhmyzHH0keoo/s1600/photo+5(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OQUTD5PMKfF_J8SCH7HDp-jJzG-XhtNYPPlpBz0AfgyTZhb1mRM7M3NxRE3_EoWDDWhnGmedv_Bek1XkbkO26pyFVmQZnf3crGIHIKjkhLN0aC83Oe5l8U6wH8TWDmkBhmyzHH0keoo/s1600/photo+5(1).JPG" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: People Magazine 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Besides the fact that he's hot, Chris seems to have qualities that would make for an ideal mate. He's married but if you're looking for more than a <i><a href="http://www.tinder.com/" target="_blank">Tinder</a></i> hook-up, here are five traits I saw in Chris that would make any guy the sexiest man alive:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1. He's humble about his looks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chris honestly didn't seem to notice or care how hot he is. Maybe it's the scruff or the tousled hair or the not-too-shredded muscles - but he doesn't seem like one of those guys who spends half his time at the gym or in front of a mirror. That translates into knowing you'll get his attention, whether in the bedroom or the boardroom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2. He's gracious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chris could have walked off the stage shielded by his handlers but you could tell he <i>wanted</i> to be gracious to the audience. I'm sure he hates getting mobbed by fans but he seems to accept it as part of the cost of fame. He doesn't seem to let the adoration get to his ego. A gracious guy is one who makes others feel significant instead of insisting the spotlight always be on him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">3. He can laugh at himself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chris laughed often during the Q&A and it was easy to feel happy and upbeat listening to him. Ever been with a guy where you're always afraid you'll say the wrong thing and set him off? No one's worth that much work. A sense of humor goes a long way during stormy times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">4. He's authentic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chris didn't seem to be worried about protecting an image. He's doesn't act like Thor in real life; he has soft spots. The guy who never appears weak? The mystery may seem alluring initially but you'll eventually find yourself pounding on the wall he's built around his heart. A truly sexy man doesn't need a false version of himself to attract others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">5. He honors his wife and family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Chris probably gets hit on constantly but I loved how he honored his wife even when she wasn't around. He didn't try to come across as a stud. He wasn't ashamed of the ring on his finger. A man who honors those around him? Sexy times 100.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NjhMm-PDwBy-37VORQEEwCynsEEgOsiryAJTWi6ESqVUSdnZdkLVZyJA-j3q99xdKYxFZCgyCEz235QW-GkgTI2UShVlu6OVVc0i6FUugW34EvsbFhdV1-QloX5UFYQ19PlqCml-KSU/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NjhMm-PDwBy-37VORQEEwCynsEEgOsiryAJTWi6ESqVUSdnZdkLVZyJA-j3q99xdKYxFZCgyCEz235QW-GkgTI2UShVlu6OVVc0i6FUugW34EvsbFhdV1-QloX5UFYQ19PlqCml-KSU/s1600/facebook.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-74272914602422207522014-11-17T23:20:00.001-08:002014-11-18T19:30:29.296-08:00From Weddings to Weight Loss - What Solange Shows Us <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC0opAMZlYchlxsr-yrUdfhPsxUXXMellS-7ZNINlEB1sTZ2qwT5NNcjPv43gtf-LbMKBYm-ZkZkPc4lvNWG9rwcd9b9MacX-ncy5QFjZG03BEiOcOKnYizM1eakwlDuJWVXbNw1lnUM/s1600/rs_634x1024-141116121011-634.Solange-Wedding-Alan-Ferguson.jl.111614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC0opAMZlYchlxsr-yrUdfhPsxUXXMellS-7ZNINlEB1sTZ2qwT5NNcjPv43gtf-LbMKBYm-ZkZkPc4lvNWG9rwcd9b9MacX-ncy5QFjZG03BEiOcOKnYizM1eakwlDuJWVXbNw1lnUM/s1600/rs_634x1024-141116121011-634.Solange-Wedding-Alan-Ferguson.jl.111614.jpg" height="640" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Vogue</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before she whipped Jay Z, I had never paid much attention to Solange Knowles. Now, of course, the world knows not to mess with Beyoncé's little sister. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">nd now, with her unconventional white wedding in <i><a href="http://www.vogue.com/4335435/solange-knowles-wedding-pictures-dress-rog-walker-portrait/" target="_blank">Vogue,</a></i> she's the star of her own beautiful, blazing moment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Solange thrashed the wedding rule book: the bike ride to the ceremony, the guests in white, the caped gown - showing us all </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">that sometimes the best way to rock your life is by defying everything you've been taught. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Speaking of vows...In a few weeks, we'll be inundated with ads from the billion-dollar diet industry seeking our dollars to help with our New Year's resolutions. It might be time to take a page from Solange's playbook and say: </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Screw your rules.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From weddings to weight loss, sometimes you have to <i>be</i> the game-changer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ditching the rules - and the scale - helped me lose 50 pounds after failing horribly with traditional dieting methods. If common diets have left you starving, fatter than ever and burned out, why not take a note from Solange? Forget the formulas. Do it your way. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Below are some articles and blog posts I've written with unconventional ideas for weight loss:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life/" target="_blank">Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/10/fat-is-not-beautiful-part-2.html" target="_blank">When Fat Is Not Beautiful</a> two-part blog series</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2014/03/19/detox-the-emotions-keeping-you-unhealthy/" target="_blank">Detox the Emotions Keeping You Unhealthy</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can bet when it's my time for nuptials, I'm following Solange's lead and re-writing the story there, too. Congrats to the couple! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15eRFWj2tnYlK1rTA05X5hOlFvH_gTLjFcK_qpUqdpKZIGHo7xVsOU95Fx0yFJT8canAVeu8PzKkONXFMePtLqUjQ0l3DzTYGvU4sKvjua6D-5TIPu5BdyOxy_dLSViAlBbNMXHJIeJk/s1600/solange-knowles-alan-ferguson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15eRFWj2tnYlK1rTA05X5hOlFvH_gTLjFcK_qpUqdpKZIGHo7xVsOU95Fx0yFJT8canAVeu8PzKkONXFMePtLqUjQ0l3DzTYGvU4sKvjua6D-5TIPu5BdyOxy_dLSViAlBbNMXHJIeJk/s1600/solange-knowles-alan-ferguson.jpg" height="604" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Vogue</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkN8I1_u1P-xoqowA-Q3h5Yy_7unTT_6EzJmQKnEFnGStsSYWnez5Oqec_dpjGch0jWFmd34swO10eOO7y4p41m1NH5fupFpqq0mhGdGJELIDX2Fj6AFPQg_st5j4xYgAPMwKsXFdJLmo/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkN8I1_u1P-xoqowA-Q3h5Yy_7unTT_6EzJmQKnEFnGStsSYWnez5Oqec_dpjGch0jWFmd34swO10eOO7y4p41m1NH5fupFpqq0mhGdGJELIDX2Fj6AFPQg_st5j4xYgAPMwKsXFdJLmo/s1600/facebook.png" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland">www.facebook.com/shayholland</a></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-86203955623042256612014-11-15T11:52:00.000-08:002014-11-19T15:12:00.538-08:00Before She Broke the Internet<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgno1iXIh0nrrjvDUw9dR0jDlEE0Ia0kzlMP9j_87J6FgC2wVPBP_q_CjhaPrivh-v3A0CFgukDGfNM-VBcaHdfl4-yIhbvboczHt_xWoRwlK2mFBoUSkdZpCHC5bFDX6f7O5HNM2GCYI4/s1600/10675733_827098347312836_6110437718237164899_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgno1iXIh0nrrjvDUw9dR0jDlEE0Ia0kzlMP9j_87J6FgC2wVPBP_q_CjhaPrivh-v3A0CFgukDGfNM-VBcaHdfl4-yIhbvboczHt_xWoRwlK2mFBoUSkdZpCHC5bFDX6f7O5HNM2GCYI4/s1600/10675733_827098347312836_6110437718237164899_n.png" height="640" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Paper Magazine 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Before she tried to <a href="http://www.papermag.com/2014/11/kim_kardashian_paper_jean_paul_goude.php" target="_blank">break the Internet</a>, we broke secrets of Kim Kardashian's flawless looks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Kim has featured some of her favorite places in my Santa Monica neighborhood on her reality show. I was astonished when I ran into her that she is quite gorgeous and even more petite than me, except her booty!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">During a recent season of </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.eonline.com/shows/kardashians" target="_blank">Keeping Up with the Kardashians</a></i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, I interviewed celebrity beauty expert </span><a href="http://www.danawaldie.com/" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Dana Waldie</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> about treatments and products stars like Kim use to get their red carpet looks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Check out the links below for tips on everything from choosing makeup to help you get that celebrity glow to determining the best facial treatment for your skin type. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Keeping Up with the Kardashians</i> beauty series:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Part 1: <a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/06/keeping-up-with-kardashians-pt-1.html" target="_blank">Look younger without injections</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Part 2: <a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/06/keeping-up-with-kardashians-pt-2.html" target="_blank">What it's like working on a TV set</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Part 3: <a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/06/pt-3-keeping-up-with-kardashians-makeup.html" target="_blank">Expert tips for a flawless face</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Part 4: <a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/06/pt-4-keeping-up-with-kardashians-tips.html" target="_blank">How to get the best facial for you</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is there really any value in Kim's full frontal strip show for <i>Paper</i> magazine? True beauty isn't measured by the junk in your trunk but by the light of a soul set ablaze. Still, no harm in stealing a few A-list beauty secrets.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikR1ohLU3HlbL6TQVIBHSHXcFeS4YeaIUZBCMQ1w1y22Jm2Li-MqqLqtoGbDBTnQc8mS8mIRYWUJ_Wm4GsxsQbvXeQ2JJal63NyAf69sAUJYVfZ6me-S6ty7winsmH2CAODalFcbRgrWM/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikR1ohLU3HlbL6TQVIBHSHXcFeS4YeaIUZBCMQ1w1y22Jm2Li-MqqLqtoGbDBTnQc8mS8mIRYWUJ_Wm4GsxsQbvXeQ2JJal63NyAf69sAUJYVfZ6me-S6ty7winsmH2CAODalFcbRgrWM/s1600/facebook.png" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-40333296663831860132014-11-10T22:41:00.000-08:002014-11-18T19:34:13.148-08:00Veteran's Day Salute<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rH855rvEBDqg9kIMUP3LnqLRci53dOR3PZeqtb7kdw6YAFXe0vqkSqeff0K7JD4iqK7nRpdm_fkxZxE_Q5F6Mrd22c7xd-qyBiWmEG3AJ6O2c3Va_rtD2Wqaf23f1XWGU14V-sQV4Gk/s1600/20140629-154910-56950012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rH855rvEBDqg9kIMUP3LnqLRci53dOR3PZeqtb7kdw6YAFXe0vqkSqeff0K7JD4iqK7nRpdm_fkxZxE_Q5F6Mrd22c7xd-qyBiWmEG3AJ6O2c3Va_rtD2Wqaf23f1XWGU14V-sQV4Gk/s640/20140629-154910-56950012.jpg" height="640" width="395" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Forgotten New York</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honoring our veterans for protecting our country; especially my dad, who would do it all over again if the military would let him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When we were kids, we used to love marching around the house in my dad's Army boots. He'd come home and leave them at the door, not bothering to polish them yet - knowing my brother and I would end up clomping around the living room practicing our salutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">His boots were heavy and black and shiny - perfect, really. Somehow they represented courage and honor and dedication that we had yet to grown into.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I knew my dad and 'his men' (he taught us to address soldiers by rank) did brave and important things for our country. But when he took off those boots at the door, that was when he did the job he loved most - being a dad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><em>To all who serve, thank you.</em></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2IeQ73w2ysy7pom7jlH65qo3zG7Kwl8jjFKZLpxZSCzsX1DdDHMSmltVm9FWCDAdT9oYhtJxH1LKNtt4xLFRV5JP19JZtc3jTRhUSOMh0ceGf2XbiWRBM78y56Dna4t1pyuC0lS0SeY/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2IeQ73w2ysy7pom7jlH65qo3zG7Kwl8jjFKZLpxZSCzsX1DdDHMSmltVm9FWCDAdT9oYhtJxH1LKNtt4xLFRV5JP19JZtc3jTRhUSOMh0ceGf2XbiWRBM78y56Dna4t1pyuC0lS0SeY/s1600/facebook.png" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-8853395018435675212014-10-21T16:38:00.006-07:002014-11-22T10:38:10.029-08:00Does God Care About Baseball?<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork: Will Johnson</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes. God cares about baseball. Cares enough to show up at ballparks all the time. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Answering prayers...often ones that have little to do with the game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Not long ago I had an experience at <i>AT&T Park</i> like Ray in </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/" target="_blank">Field of Dreams</a></i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">A friend had convinced me to run the San Francisco half-marathon (the fact that I could run more than two blocks is a miracle in itself, story <a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/09/fat-is-not-beautiful.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I was excited to fulfill such a bold dream in the place I still call home; to run the streets where I'd lived; to run past AT&T Park where I would play hooky from work to watch the </span><a href="http://www.sfgiants.com/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";" target="_blank"><i>Giants</i></a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The day of the race, a runner in front of me collapsed just as we ran alongside the stadium. He didn't move. His chest lay flat, like there was no breath left in him. Seconds seemed to be forevers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"Stay with us, Eric!" his friends shouted, "Stay with us!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I wanted to kneel next to him and breath air into his lungs but found only a silent prayer. </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">God, please don't let him die!</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">There's a story in the Bible about this pool called Bethesda. An angel would come stir the waters and divine healing would be released.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">As the runner lay motionless, I glanced up at the glistening China Basin waters that flow along the ballpark's south walls. And I saw the waters stir...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">...I don't think that day was merely about a race. Sometimes we're put in a place at a specific moment simply to whisper a prayer that changes things.</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">We just don't recognize life's most significant moments while they're happening. Back then I thought, 'Well, there will be other days.' I didn't realize that that was the only day. ~ Field of Dreams</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">There outside the ballpark, I knew heaven had invited me into this moment; had entrusted me with the mystery of prayer. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I felt His presence; a power greater than darkness or death. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In that moment, I knew Eric would breathe again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I also knew that I was supposed to finish the race. Yes, for myself - to celebrate the triumph of losing 50 pounds and restoring my health - but also for a stranger whose body failed him before he could cross the finish line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Yes. God shows up at ballparks all the time.<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"> </span>Oh, I don't think He's betting on whether the <i><a href="http://www.sfgiants.com/" target="_blank">Giants</a> </i>or <i><a href="http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=kc" target="_blank">Royals</a></i> will win the <i>World Series</i> (that would hardly be fair!) but keep an eye on the waters...</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">They'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. </i><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">~ Field of Dreams</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYf4UjKYTqo6cr2uw-avA5DR5Wei8gGSQqes8TXSFdv3Nb0fyJ9lvLD5An7Xvc-sO0tbV-rP8vS0lEwrqDPXv82wtbtJfKYtd0gSZfSd_uDcHdmQWvj_oUDlTyHfCBIQzicFOB_xQZ2U/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYf4UjKYTqo6cr2uw-avA5DR5Wei8gGSQqes8TXSFdv3Nb0fyJ9lvLD5An7Xvc-sO0tbV-rP8vS0lEwrqDPXv82wtbtJfKYtd0gSZfSd_uDcHdmQWvj_oUDlTyHfCBIQzicFOB_xQZ2U/s1600/facebook.png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-47692368115210485772014-10-09T18:57:00.001-07:002018-03-20T19:22:16.784-07:00How to Break Up and Keep Your Heart Intact<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiacD-O3D6HC-uUnACDWVkPEhKaWaHUh9vMx1o2jMj51EDpFc_T4TSZCHSeDvIFScY2fcizoaee6lWWrR0lttX41QbB02Kzt1kK6DPOoPRDKzMARg55yCe5uWCx2bKFZArgGM_qUCF4E0/s1600/blog+taylor+tumblr_mvhdtneKEp1s9ggexo1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiacD-O3D6HC-uUnACDWVkPEhKaWaHUh9vMx1o2jMj51EDpFc_T4TSZCHSeDvIFScY2fcizoaee6lWWrR0lttX41QbB02Kzt1kK6DPOoPRDKzMARg55yCe5uWCx2bKFZArgGM_qUCF4E0/s1600/blog+taylor+tumblr_mvhdtneKEp1s9ggexo1_500.png" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Begin Again" Taylor Swift.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>It is insanely painful. ~ Jennifer, on breaking-up</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">While <a href="http://www.taylorswift.com/" target="_blank">Taylor Swift</a> has mastered the art of channeling break-up pain through her music, when it happens to most of us, we just hurt. intensely. insanely. like we will never love again. ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Those of us who are the "loyal-like-Rihanna-is-to-Chris type" understand the dread of losing relationships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">It's over. Because you feel cheated. Tired of the constantly changing terms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Sing it, Taylor, girl:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><i>And I lived in your chess game but</i></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><i> you changed the rules everyday. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">("Dear John" by Taylor Swift)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Endings always leave an empty space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Recently I was walking out a very real heartache as a friend messaged: </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">He hurt me today deeply.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">She shared of one of those moments when the earth drops out from under you</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.15px;">– </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">a time for tissues, Häagen Dazs and girlfriends.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Yet, amid the tidal wave of emotions, I could hear love. Demanding. Shouting. YOU WILL LOVE AGAIN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">How? How do you mend a heart that's shattered into a million pieces?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">My friend knew she'd done the right thing breaking up with a man who was not meant to be her husband. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">And there in her pain, came perspective so many of us need to hear.</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Even though he may be a great man, he may not be YOUR man.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Loving yourself may mean having the courage and fortitude to let go. And be alone. It may mean eating dinners alone. Nights alone. Holidays without him at your side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">In our hearts, we know spending a lifetime with someone we're not meant to be with would be worse than breaking up. But, oh, it is </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">insanely, intensely painful and lonely.</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"> RIGHT NOW.</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">And indeed, you will have doubts every day,</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"> says Jennifer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I try to think of some word of comfort. Some verse of hope. Some promise from heaven. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">And all that comes out is...</span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></i><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"Time WILL heal the wound. Life WILL be beautiful again</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">...trying to decree healing where right now there's only broken pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Shut the door. Eat M&M's until your fingers turn rainbow shades. Weeping may endure for the night. </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">But in the morning, wake up expecting a new chapter to begin. Because that </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">is</i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"> His promise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">And when you feel like you're finally starting to breathe on your own, love will come knocking. Daring you to open the door ever so slightly. And you will find that your heart has healed and reawakens to something new.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">..reshaped through pain, readied to love again.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Thinking all love ever does is bre<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">ak and burn and end</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again. </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"> </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">~Taylor Sw<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">if</span>t, "Begin Again"</span></i></span></span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-28774315804249036682014-09-09T11:08:00.001-07:002014-11-22T15:43:29.526-08:00Runways and Red Carpets<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXSiFPDUgIYz1TXYj3zYd14S4JDOlr3YUQMi69CnJgbVmAtdOG8LUAfpIBr3F5CR0FyLVS3QjmAud20v0QhpccCWSeySbNt7rrospc-vCdhL_-NYVrFEjT3P-xQY_LFoLRxYq9HyABvw/s1600/Victoria-Beckham-ELLE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXSiFPDUgIYz1TXYj3zYd14S4JDOlr3YUQMi69CnJgbVmAtdOG8LUAfpIBr3F5CR0FyLVS3QjmAud20v0QhpccCWSeySbNt7rrospc-vCdhL_-NYVrFEjT3P-xQY_LFoLRxYq9HyABvw/s1600/Victoria-Beckham-ELLE.jpg" height="544" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victoria Beckham. Photo: Elle Magazine 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bring on the spice! Over the past year, I've been working with stylists and makeup artists and health experts who make the stars look so good. They've been sharing secrets from the runway to the red carpet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was never one of those girls who's obsessed with fashion or makeup or perfectly flat abs. Now I have a new appreciation for the creative ones who work in those industries. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Instead of shunning the culture of beauty, my goal has been to embrace it in a way that's helpful to wom<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">e</span>n. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the God-given desires of a woman's heart is to feel beautiful. I was being handed so many helpful ways that have transformed my confidence that I wanted to share them.<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's a compilation of videos with guests from my lifestyle webisodes. For more on any of the A-list tips, you can check out full videos on my YouTube channel.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/r29s57xI2VA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm so grateful for</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> you, creative ones. And for you, for sharing this beautiful adventure!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span><br />
<br />Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-65675137746772553142014-08-05T13:08:00.003-07:002014-11-21T18:28:35.771-08:00Five Rookie Tips for Your First Half Marathon<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4qeJmU8H7lcWbZho2cTrO_OivyiwS-OPAgl2WKe-Rbvt1NClNnzIXWbxX2i3eBw-ZuhN0wDSMdZ1NiJ5VXDG5PdsSzpxQCSG3I9jmyIiBQBmcScVWSfM1qzEyMMW7Qi9qV21WCZ3kmo/s1600/image-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4qeJmU8H7lcWbZho2cTrO_OivyiwS-OPAgl2WKe-Rbvt1NClNnzIXWbxX2i3eBw-ZuhN0wDSMdZ1NiJ5VXDG5PdsSzpxQCSG3I9jmyIiBQBmcScVWSfM1qzEyMMW7Qi9qV21WCZ3kmo/s1600/image-3.jpeg" height="425" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Starting line of the San Francisco Marathon. July 27, 2014 photo: GameFace Media</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> Fifty pounds ago, I dreaded when the elevator in my building broke down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You know you're in bad shape when you decide to wait at <i>Starbucks</i> for the repair man to fix it rather than climb seven flights of stairs to your apartment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now, a year later, I just ran my first half marathon! Even raised money for a <a href="http://www.leadthewayfund.org/" target="_blank">charity that helps wounded soldiers</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">FROM HOLLYWOOD TO THE HAIGHT</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the flight from LA to San Francisco, I wrestled with fear of being escorted off the course on a stretcher. What was I thinking?! Maybe I could tell people my plane got hijacked...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Though the nerves never fully subsided, I finished the race in 2:12; fast enough to place in the top third of women in my age bracket and in the top half of all men and women.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Considering a year ago I hated climbing stairs, that's a miracle. Still, I felt post-race letdown from knowing I'd held back - partly because of the learning curve and partly because of fear of injury and failure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here are some lessons I learned, as well as products I used (unfortunately no one paid me) for other rookie runners.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTajxVm047NrWzLwjrINMc0Zmap1fDanDPKtrAKYNFbHqUJjMlx3K73cobjAatDDRSQ9OGe6MsK4CnhHeXZSUOjLSmjEhTHlWxi93iHWdqZXpIpXD-9HUieC9wXnaOr0QMpH-DZTQpUQ/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTajxVm047NrWzLwjrINMc0Zmap1fDanDPKtrAKYNFbHqUJjMlx3K73cobjAatDDRSQ9OGe6MsK4CnhHeXZSUOjLSmjEhTHlWxi93iHWdqZXpIpXD-9HUieC9wXnaOr0QMpH-DZTQpUQ/s1600/image.jpeg" height="640" width="427" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Friends cheering me on at mile 6 of the San Francisco half marathon</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Drink.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I decided to rely solely on the support stations for hydration. I don't carry water when I run in LA (my routes pass lots of drinking fountains) and the race was not the time to try to adapt to a bulky water belt <i>(Geek alert: Google tips on how to run through water stations like a pro)</i>. While this worked for me, later runners complained of dry stations by the time they got there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, volunteers had trouble keeping up with demand, meaning long lines. Runners impacted by the heat - the sun made a rare blazing appearance in a City famous for its summer fog - couldn't afford to skip stations. A runner in front of me collapsed a mile from the finish line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No matter how many support stations, best to carry your own water - just in case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Eat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I ate a simple breakfast a couple hours before the race: trail mix with almonds, cranberries, raisins, a banana and an energy bar. Enough to prevent "hitting the wall" but not enough for a full stomach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn't change my eating habits or carbo-load but I did carry a power bar during the race. Discovered about mile 7 why it wasn't the best choice - felt like swallowing pebbles AND made me thirsty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While the course did have energy gel stations, I skipped those since I'd never used gels; b</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">est not to try anything new during a race. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Whatever you choose fo<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">r fuel,<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> make sure it's</span></span> </span>easy to swallow like gummies. Some marathoners on </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">YouTube </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">suggest</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> baby food in tubes. Whatever works.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Pace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Runner friends had warned me not to start too fast; don't want to hit the wall or be in pain later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I was way too cautious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Big races are divided into waves, or groups, based on estimated finish time. Organizers put me in the last wave (about 3 hours) given factors like inexperience, age and gender. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I made a last-minute decision to move up a full wave as the race started but the pace was still slow for me. I wasted time learning protocol on the packed course: Is it ok to run in the grass to pass people? Do I need to stay in my wave? What if teams blocking the lanes won't move? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A lack of mile markers also caused problems. I was saving energy for the hills and last half, not realizing I was way further along than I thought. I usually sprint the last stretch so got ready to "kick it" - only to find I was literally crossing the finish line!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Talk about anti-climactic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Make sure to have a good idea of your finish time. Training in the mountains, I focus on endurance (and avoiding mountain lions!) rather than speed so I had no idea of my race pace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A smart watch might be a good investment; makes a huge difference knowing if you're at mile 7 or 10.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibacMV05XfdPLV2WtTc5WJH8wGn6unEbiK-2gEPKuM9V-QJlFRbRvq8blb2_vIw5gw3X0xI1amaBRsmWNHDFznaGKs-L4iPEUIzjjnEu8ZptWQw3Jws2mUD7AbDIoOrHLPTzUIkJXMies/s1600/image-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibacMV05XfdPLV2WtTc5WJH8wGn6unEbiK-2gEPKuM9V-QJlFRbRvq8blb2_vIw5gw3X0xI1amaBRsmWNHDFznaGKs-L4iPEUIzjjnEu8ZptWQw3Jws2mUD7AbDIoOrHLPTzUIkJXMies/s1600/image-2.jpeg" height="640" width="427" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Melted my heart seeing "Go, Shay, go!!!" signs.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. Tunes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Race Organizers didn't want runners wearing headphones - makes sense safety-wise for a crowded urban event - so I decided to skip my tunes. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I did wear a fanny pack to carry my phone and keys since there was no place to check valuables. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I really wished I'd had my power jams (<a href="http://www.jakehamiltonmusic.com/" target="_blank"><i>Jake Hamilton</i></a>'s top of my playlist) in the boring industrial areas. Running with music definitely helps but maybe use one ear bud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Gear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm not fussy about brands - comfort is key - but did upgrade a few things for the race.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One problem is finding good running socks for small feet. Scored with <a href="http://www.sunandski.com/Thorlos_Coolmax_Thin_Cushion_Micro_Mini_crew_Socks_p/4040072880905.htm?gclid=COaZ7_nNjMACFQSEaQodL5QA7g" target="_blank">Experia Thorlo micro minis</a>. Best $15 purchase ever. No slipping socks, no blisters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While hot weather was forecast, it was cool and foggy at start time. I made a last-minute decision to wear the official polyester race jersey over my tank since I hate running cold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you do start out wearing long sleeves, consider something you can literally throw on the side of the road if you don't want to run with it tied around your waist (most races donate the left-behinds to shelters). Just know it'll cost time re-pinning your bib.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also, a note on hair and makeup (diva!). Hair in the eyes is a big distraction but baseball caps make your head hot and sweaty. I wore a pinned up ponytail and dab of makeup (<i>LancĂ´me Teinte Idole</i> foundation, lip gloss, mascara).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6I9biW2NaLQtRYX98AWkHe240xtUvWnsDyGqHCvIqzyIO0S12J3xclDUNjmL5BVhCjCEGWr6ghJinFUZqUf-enOkRlI4w-OpoRQ7T6d5NkS2RQp4SVx6q8VKMOGfy5I9ZP1VS4ufpns/s1600/image-5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6I9biW2NaLQtRYX98AWkHe240xtUvWnsDyGqHCvIqzyIO0S12J3xclDUNjmL5BVhCjCEGWr6ghJinFUZqUf-enOkRlI4w-OpoRQ7T6d5NkS2RQp4SVx6q8VKMOGfy5I9ZP1VS4ufpns/s1600/image-5.jpeg" height="425" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bubble! San Francisco Marathon. photo: GameFace Media</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">POST RACE</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Can't beat finish line food and beer! Coconut water, muffins, bananas and <i>Sierra Nevada</i> in the beer garden. Make sure to get a wristband at the pre-race bib pickup so you can skip the longer line to show I.D.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was concerned about soreness as I could feel my quads straining on the steep downhills. Two days of stretching and rest and I was back on the trails.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I plan to run another race to push my limits. There's a verse that keeps me going: <i>Run the race that lies before us and never give up.</i>*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good luck on your rookie race!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">So how did I go from hoarding chocolate chip cookies to running a half marathon? Read my weight loss story here:<i> <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life" target="_blank">Feel Rich</a> </i>and here<i> <a href="http://www.blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/09/fat-is-not-beautiful.html?m=1" target="_blank">When Fat is Not Beautiful</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Hebrews 12:1</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span></div>
Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-4634885718146863382014-06-30T18:45:00.003-07:002014-11-16T12:28:09.871-08:00Running for the Rangers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is happening! After losing 50 pounds, I got this crazy idea to run a half-marathon! And, with your help, every step will be supporting our wounded military heroes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As the daughter of a retired U.S. Army officer, I drew on the perseverance and faith my dad modeled to kick obesity's butt. My dad wasn't the strongest or biggest soldier, but he had the courage to fight segregation and rise through the ranks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now I plan to run the <a href="http://www.thesfmarathon.com/" target="_blank">San Francisco half marathon</a> to raise funds for an incredible non-profit called <a href="http://www.leadthewayfund.org/" target="_blank"><i>Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund</i></a>. Created by the family of Sgt. James Regan who was killed in action in Iraq, the Fund helps active duty and wounded Special Operations U.S. Army Rangers and families of soldiers killed in combat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's a <a href="http://youtu.be/8fViqeqM3TY" target="_blank">video </a>if you want to hear more about why I'm running:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Also, please check out my </span><a href="http://www.gofundme.com/shayholland" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">GoFundMe</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> page and t</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">hanks for helping me run for the Rangers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you want to read the story of how I lost 50 pounds, click <a href="http://blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/09/fat-is-not-beautiful.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland">www.facebook.com/shayholland</a></span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-25653173200953416432014-06-11T18:28:00.002-07:002014-11-12T10:06:23.073-08:0010 Tips for Keeping it Classy from the Red Carpet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catherine Zeta-Jones at the American Film Institute tribute to Jane Fonda. June 2014</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>classy</strong> \ <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">adjective</span></em> </span><strong style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">: </strong><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">having qualities that make someone special and attractive <strong>:</strong> showing impressive character</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Merriam-Webster dictionary)</span></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What makes a person classy? </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Take Catherine Zeta Jones. She's fought bi-polar disorder, a stormy marriage, a stalled career. Yet she still exudes class - not with</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> a designer dress and diamonds, but with warmth and a wave.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; text-align: justify;">So what's the difference between classy and trashy? Here's a few things I've observed from the red carpet:</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1. Classy people have mastered the art of flirting to make others feel special - not necessarily to get them into bed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2. Classy people don't drink too much - both to avoid acting like a fool <i>and</i> long lines for the restroom. Squatting somewhere is never classy. Neither is peeing in a bucket, Mr. Bieber.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">3. Classy people aren't afraid to apologize, like Reese Witherspoon when she pulled the, <em>"Do you know who I am?"</em> line on a cop. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">4. Classy people are kind even when others don't deserve it; no Alec Baldwin tantrums. "Never sacrifice your class to get even with someone who has none." <span style="font-size: x-small;">(author unknown)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">5. Classy people have a mystique that somehow <i>commands</i> it; that's why they can leave the see-through dresses to Rihanna. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">6. Classy people look others in the eye. Besides, wearing sunglasses at night makes anyone look like a douche. Except maybe Bono. And Stevie Wonder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">7. Classy people end conversations graciously, even if they're talking to someone creepy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">8. Classy people wear panties in public. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">9. Classy people aren't threatened by others' success and don't try to make anyone feel insignificant; they're secure enough to let you be fabulous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">10. Classy people don't obsess over their fame; they see it mainly as a platform to do good and inspire the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And the bonus observation - classy people don't waste time trying to make others love them. Instead, they unselfishly love the ones who matter most. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>"Too much of the time, we are blinded by our own pursuit of people [that don't even matter] to love us, while the people who do love us...watch us beg in the streets." </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(C. JoyBell)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Keep it classy</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaq1304tYNCzfvpWaN80OSTr4GdqReiBr55DMjOuqNhayuMa8Z6byf3CHYbzZazjBMUY11snlWGbjp1AVadmzNbLUiJWtdCMOmrc55qNy51E8HMa-mCCmcmdT7jI8o3tsTyh-cCxoS8lE/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaq1304tYNCzfvpWaN80OSTr4GdqReiBr55DMjOuqNhayuMa8Z6byf3CHYbzZazjBMUY11snlWGbjp1AVadmzNbLUiJWtdCMOmrc55qNy51E8HMa-mCCmcmdT7jI8o3tsTyh-cCxoS8lE/s1600/facebook.png" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span></a>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-29596412906289338462014-05-21T11:19:00.000-07:002014-11-16T12:30:47.485-08:00Katie Couric's No Sugar Challenge: My Astonishing Results<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySgVQEFTS_ZJmWYv9ghhI1VB9VwQTSvDc185wXpiHm_EtpTegRNr1BkRJhZ1lSz55l5dCvel16OugBPXcu43mdwmcknOEs_MZO1WQqc_uVaB81QEqLBO4-O00MWk9DIS7SGQU_xjhyCk/s1600/gwyneth-everyday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySgVQEFTS_ZJmWYv9ghhI1VB9VwQTSvDc185wXpiHm_EtpTegRNr1BkRJhZ1lSz55l5dCvel16OugBPXcu43mdwmcknOEs_MZO1WQqc_uVaB81QEqLBO4-O00MWk9DIS7SGQU_xjhyCk/s1600/gwyneth-everyday.jpg" height="547" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't feed her kids sugar, gluten, dairy or soy. Photo from her cookbook, "It's All Good" <a href="http://www.linenme.com/">www.linenme.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Going sugar-free like Gwyneth Paltrow or vegan like <a href="http://www.skinnyvscurvy.com/beyonce/beyonces-weight-loss.html" target="_blank">Beyoncé</a> is too extreme for me. That's why I didn't immediately commit when I heard about Katie Couric's challenge to give up added sugar for 10 days <em>(I also did a video for Katie's </em><a href="http://youtu.be/X_ASLntiZGU" target="_blank"><em>"Co-host for a Day"</em></a><em> contest</em>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://www.fedupmovie.com/" target="_blank">Fed Up</a></em> is Katie's new film about our health crisis. The challenge, promoting the movie's launch, intrigued me because of my own struggle with obesity and family history of stroke, diabetes and weight-related issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Afraid I'd be setting myself up for failure, I decided to try it for three days instead of 10. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While I've mostly beaten food cravings, some of my choices are still high in sugar: flavored yogurt, chocolate, fruit juice. I'd already given up most processed junk foods and sodas, so what was the benefit in going totally sugar-free?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Turns out there were plenty! Starting with a shrinking gut, clearer skin, weight loss, shinier hair.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rOwPrryA2Th04XGL60o68tI2vmu-sATMEJTlFv6LgvRyJA0_PSpNtfMzN6hCVs13GxFpXx9APmEhlIjyLyaooswZGF2usi48kAQGeeRGlC4GcvMP-qgCkm3KPRWXj6CxrQdsoi-AeVE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rOwPrryA2Th04XGL60o68tI2vmu-sATMEJTlFv6LgvRyJA0_PSpNtfMzN6hCVs13GxFpXx9APmEhlIjyLyaooswZGF2usi48kAQGeeRGlC4GcvMP-qgCkm3KPRWXj6CxrQdsoi-AeVE/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo <a href="http://www.katiecouric.com/">www.katiecouric.com</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I share more about how I'm beating genetic obesity on the health and fitness site, <em><a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2014/03/19/detox-the-emotions-keeping-you-unhealthy/" target="_blank">Feel Rich</a></em>, started by music mogul Quincy Jones' son but suffice it to say my body was showing astonishing benefits from being sugar-free for the first time <em>ever</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Most surprising was the rapid weight loss. I wish I'd taken measurements on the first day of the challenge. I didn't expect to firm up and get toned like </span><a href="http://www.popsugar.com/Kelly-Ripa?page=1" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Kelly Ripa</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> (ok, that might be overstating the results a bit).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Surprisingly, I felt compelled to keep going after the first three days. It wasn't nearly as brutal as I'd feared; no major withdrawal like headaches or jitters.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPQ71LJdwHxy_RAJr8b_5pmJgLrWnkPOISSfSE_oAESqtjjzj6AeumfRDpiLnVzmGjzyLLCbuKmsq2G4WK6KPJXKh_rKY7TT5dNdPCOtf0T_oDt3QTyy9SwU1K7I1h7PFEZ5dUMaunhs/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPQ71LJdwHxy_RAJr8b_5pmJgLrWnkPOISSfSE_oAESqtjjzj6AeumfRDpiLnVzmGjzyLLCbuKmsq2G4WK6KPJXKh_rKY7TT5dNdPCOtf0T_oDt3QTyy9SwU1K7I1h7PFEZ5dUMaunhs/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the amount of sugar I'd normally consume in just three days! <br />
a 'Katie' viewer suggested putting what you give up in a jar - stunning visual</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I believe in listening to our bodies, which is how I lost 50 pounds defying traditional diet wisdom (read my article, </span><em style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life" target="_blank">Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life</a></em><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">) and why I kept going for 10 days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I did feel VERY deprived at first. I especially missed drinking tea with sugar, which I replaced with sparkling water. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I also missed fruit juice - particularly since I'd already given up soda.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Quitting desserts was the hardest part. I'd already swapped super poor choices - cookies, cupcakes, </span><em style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ben & Jerry's</em><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - for healthier ones like frozen yogurt and power bars but those were taboo since they have added sugar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There were some drawbacks like afternoon exhaustion (managed with a nap) and intense sweet cravings (tamed with fresh berries).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My conclusion? My body wants far less sugar than I've been eating - even the 'good' kinds like honey and 100% fruit juices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So will I religiously avoid sugar like </span><a href="http://huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/gwyneth-paltrows-elimination-diet_n_2903410.html" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Gwyneth Paltrow</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> and other Hollywood stars? Nah, a girl needs her occasional red velvet cupcake. But I do plan to make some permanent changes, like avoiding sweetened salad dressings and peanut butter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Check out the challenge at </span><a href="http://www.fedupmovie.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">www.fedupmovie.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> - start your own if you missed this one!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-79533136069240122872014-05-15T17:27:00.003-07:002014-11-14T19:47:01.049-08:00No Prayer Is Ever Wasted - #bringbackourgirls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Did you know there are bottles in heaven that hold our tears?* I imagine some are filled with the tears of families whose<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/world/africa/tales-of-escapees-in-nigeria-add-to-worries-about-other-kidnapped-girls.html?_r=0" target="_blank"> girls were kidnapped in Nigeria</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Visiting Nigeria has been on my bucket list since my family traced our lineage through DNA tests. Before news of the kidnappings broke, I'd started researching the <i>Kanuri</i> tribe, where our bloodline originated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">News that the kidnappers spoke <i>Kanuri</i> left me feeling sick - a sense of violation that brothers I had never met had done something so twisted to sisters I had not yet known.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As journalists, we often walk a line between our acute awareness of danger and death and yet somehow feeling "shielded" in the midst of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Like so many others, that is my prayer for the 230 Nigerian schoolgirls who were unable to escape - that somehow they will be shielded. And return home safely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Prayer. Such a mystery. Why does one plea meet with near instant manifestation of an answer and another seemingly goes unanswered? Forever. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I've thought a lot about prayer since covering the 2010 earthquake in Haiti - so many lives lost; so few prayers met with heaven's 'yes.' </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">And then on a return trip, doubt was erased after an experience that could have been deadly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Our host had taken us to the pristine coast outside of Port-au-Prince. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">On the way back, our truck broke down. A storm was heading our way. The sun was giving off its final golden rays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">We were in trouble. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">The US State Department had warned travelers not to be out after dark due to a growing number of kidnappings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"I have to get you off the road," our host turned to me - the only woman in our caravan of a half dozen Brazilian missionaries and an American EMT.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"I could never live with myself if..." his voice trailed off. Rape. Torture. God knows what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I tried to stay hidden in the back seat while the men worked under the hood. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">It was one of those nights when you can <i>feel</i> evil in the air - like a pressure on your chest. Breaths come shallow. Nerves flinch at the slightest movement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">A man approached the truck. Picked up a large rock. I covered my face expecting the window to shatter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Instead, he shoved the rock under the back tire to keep the truck from rolling. He never said a word, just kept walking...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">We found out once we had cell signals that two of us had received calls from friends overseas with the same message: </span><em style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I don't know why, but I'm compelled to pray for you right NOW.</em><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">We later learned that kidnappers had abducted two people near where our truck broke down...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Will prayer help bring back the Nigerian schoolgirls? Our prayers are not always answered in ways that makes sense to us...but no prayer is ever wasted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Psalm 56:8</span><br />
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Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-7514371971135136192014-04-24T15:47:00.000-07:002014-11-22T10:23:36.184-08:00When the Path Looks Like a Dead End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpURe_HNYVbMPJWvYIpmIcdFMN8jwyQlfFJVUzzHEiUbcFMhSbVYcwhh-L_VrDqCJFvTCTmLQte2l8MACw-PWu1ITRkR18W34XrDtt3dOgfhAT_Xm45tildWw3WZCynmaCUKFwaXlDJuk/s1600/hollywood+sig+seardig+photography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpURe_HNYVbMPJWvYIpmIcdFMN8jwyQlfFJVUzzHEiUbcFMhSbVYcwhh-L_VrDqCJFvTCTmLQte2l8MACw-PWu1ITRkR18W34XrDtt3dOgfhAT_Xm45tildWw3WZCynmaCUKFwaXlDJuk/s1600/hollywood+sig+seardig+photography.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Seardig Photography on Etsy</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">You've been faithfully running toward the finish line - maybe pursuing a creative dream or losing weight - and you're finally seeing real progress. Yay! You may only be taking baby steps but you're still moving forward.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">...Only to find that your hard work and dedication has led to a crossroads: quit or feel like you're going to die trying anymore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">You've got to make some decisions that will shape the next season of your life but you're beaten down by the sheer weight of chasing your dream. Discouraged. Broke. Too exhausted to even flash a grin at Jimmy Fallon who just walked past you at LAX (yes, that happened).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Like Dorothy and her entourage on the way to see the Wizard, you've hit the deadly poppy field. The valley of dry bones. The graveyard where it will require a miracle to restore your vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Seven years ago when I moved to Hollywood, I went to a workshop for entertainment industry newcomers. The speaker, a TV and film veteran, spoke to us bluntly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">"Only a handful of you will still be here in a few years," he said. "Of that handful, only about one percent will find success."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Ouch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">He wasn't trying to kill our dreams; he was trying to prepare us for the long, competitive road ahead. He was reminding us that the race doesn't necessarily go to the strong and the mighty - or to the rich and well-connected - but to those who persevere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">So don't quit. Make peace with God's pace. K</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">eep moving forward. We'll eventually make it to the place He intended all along. </span><br />
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Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-81196228806721135632014-03-10T06:00:00.000-07:002014-11-22T20:43:56.301-08:00Detox the Emotions Keeping You Unhealthy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i>My article below appears on the health and fitness site, <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2014/03/19/detox-the-emotions-keeping-you-unhealthy/" target="_blank">Feel Rich</a>, created by music mogul Quincy Jones' son!</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Seems just about everyone's on some sort of health/weight loss kick - juicing, <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html" target="_blank">Crossfit</a>, <a href="http://thepaleodiet.com/" target="_blank">Paleo</a> (Google 'caveman diet' if you don't know what it is). Goodbye, <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com/" target="_blank">Krispy Kremes</a>; hello, kale.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Even with all the tools, rules and resources available to us, the weight loss battle isn't won in the gym, it's won in our hearts. Heal the emotions, begin to heal the body.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />The number on the scale isn't the real issue. Most of us - stats say up to 95% - will regain any weight we do lose. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />So forget quick external fixes. Resolve to be gentle with yourself. Let go of condemnation and guilt. Give yourself grace. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />These are three keys to begin detoxing emotions that may be keeping you unhealthy:<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />1. Be gentle with yourself.<br clear="none" />Being gentle with yourself happens when you can stop laying blame and instead take responsibility for your health.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Our culture tells us fat is not our fault. Blame genetics. Stress. Metabolism. Hormones. TV. Medications...<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />After gaining nearly 50 pounds, I blamed a family obesity curse and a demanding job. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />But truthfully, I needed to admit that I was a food addict who would choose Red Velvet cupcakes over lifting weights any day.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Saying "It's my fault that I'm overweight" is very different from saying, "I am responsible for doing something about my weight." The former causes you to look back; the latter faces you forward toward healing.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />2. Let go of condemnation and guilt.<br clear="none" />Science has proven that forgiving others and ourselves can help fight off diseases like depression, stroke and high blood pressure.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />We just don't hear much about it largely because the multi-billion dollar weight-loss industry doesn't make money off of forgiveness - and we're too busy chasing empty promises.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />One day as I was watching people run up a hill, the thought came to me, 'Who told you that you would always be fat?'<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />...<i>the saleswoman who bluntly told my mother no one sells size 14 dresses for little girls...TV viewers who said I was too fat...a co-worker who put my face on a pig roast invitation</i>...<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />I'd been teased and bullied about my body for so long that I believed the lie that I could never. run. up a hill. Sobbing, my heart was finally released from the prison of self-hatred and guilt.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />It's hard to look at yourself and hate what you see. To get free, you have to forgive - and that may include the person looking back at you in the mirror.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />(Do not be ashamed if you need a therapist's help at this point.)<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />3. Give yourself grace.<br clear="none" />"The number one reason people regain weight," says Dr. Jennifer Landa, "is the diet mentality. If we live in a state of constantly feeling deprived, we will eventually rebel." <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Giving yourself grace is the opposite - a way to adopt a mindset of abundance and plenty.<br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />I grew up afraid of starving. To escape that poverty mindset, I took a radical approach: I let myself eat anything I wanted for a week. ANYTHING. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />Instead of spiraling out of control, you know what happened? Grace. I didn't have to fear starving anymore - not for food or love or forgiveness. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />You'll find your new mindset spills over into wanting to rid yourself of destructive habits, excess stuff and even toxic relationships that don't support the best version of you.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <br clear="none" />---<br clear="none" />As your spirit heals, you'll find that your body begins to tell you the healthy things that it wants; you may be hearing it speak for the first time. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />You really can ditch the scale and lose weight from the inside out. Detox your emotions and you're well on the way to a life rich in health. <br clear="none" /><br clear="none" />And that hill that left me in tears? I run up it all the time now.</span></span></span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span></a>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-21165705478518420732014-03-07T16:38:00.002-08:002014-11-16T10:50:58.194-08:00'Ditch Your Scale!' - Lent Event: Getting Started<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">'Ditch Your Scale!' Lent event is underway over on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Here's how to get started if you want to join us. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We're not going to be on a diet. No gimmicks. No short-term fixes. Just you and God on a faith-based journey to lifelong health for the next 40 days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Most of these ideas are in my 'Getting Started' video and there are a few more below:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1. Take starting weight/measurements if you want.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">2. Set aside time for a daily date with God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">3. Ask God for a verse, poem, song, art, watever speaks to you about His love for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">4. Read my article, <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life/" target="_blank">'Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life'</a> about changing a deprivation mindset (<a href="http://www.feelrich.com/">www.feelrich.com</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">5. Journal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">6. Ask others to pray for you, or join you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">7. Seek God about setting healthy goals - but don't worry about making them happen just yet, we'll get to external changes later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">8. I'll be posting healthy recipes from contributors, inspirational stories and more on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> - like it to join us daily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Get creative! I believe God has a plan tailored for you. Come discover it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-36575174011617653752014-03-04T20:31:00.002-08:002014-11-16T10:51:11.656-08:00Ditch Your Scale! Lent event <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircFb6f2w3JRx_T8frKleHqrjCucf2ues5FlAKk-h5YUKITnnqyB8oQUab3QoZa7hvYp6KIrWKvzySMHgJoFLAr1K2nX4ixRAOuhzM4T0jr-cKwBvfpZ38GboqljNCQnpPLxPecl6tKS4/s1600/Ditch+Your+Scale+Promo+tall+030314.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircFb6f2w3JRx_T8frKleHqrjCucf2ues5FlAKk-h5YUKITnnqyB8oQUab3QoZa7hvYp6KIrWKvzySMHgJoFLAr1K2nX4ixRAOuhzM4T0jr-cKwBvfpZ38GboqljNCQnpPLxPecl6tKS4/s1600/Ditch+Your+Scale+Promo+tall+030314.png" height="640" width="603" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Starting a health-focused Lent event tomorrow! The vision is to spend the 40 days of Lent on a faith-based journey toward lifelong health. <br /><br /> Here's how to get involved:<br /><br /> 1. Commit to a RADICAL approach to health during Lent. But get this - no fasting required!<br />
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Instead, we'll ditch our scales and entrust these areas to God...and end up healthier than ever. How? I'll share more later but there's insight in my article on the health & fitness site, <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/" target="_blank">Feel Rich</a> (click <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life/" target="_blank">here</a>)<br /><br /> 2. Share your creativity, passion & gifts.<br /> You might have a song, a recipe, a verse, a fitness tip to encourage others. I'd love to share these on my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<br /><br />Here's more about 'Ditch Your Scale in my introductory video.
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/uO1Ya4Yg_T0/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/uO1Ya4Yg_T0&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/uO1Ya4Yg_T0&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span></span></div>
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<br /><br />Starting on Lent March 5th, I hope you'll check out the videos and posts on topics like forgiveness and health, cultivating an abundant mindset, loving others to maintain health. Ditch your scale and get healthy for life!<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland"><span style="color: #666666;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span></a><span style="color: magenta;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdxklNotUFGcMygQYZFlzBvVZi5RI862UIfrBeJYFL0YIpYBSyeGrnMJJ2X_dA0CXnL-DauDd3n51Nf_UprwqOaSp3179QNdsycfQWrgEH_hlx2FpoFzg5OVSbIsohn_731rss-I4TeQ/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdxklNotUFGcMygQYZFlzBvVZi5RI862UIfrBeJYFL0YIpYBSyeGrnMJJ2X_dA0CXnL-DauDd3n51Nf_UprwqOaSp3179QNdsycfQWrgEH_hlx2FpoFzg5OVSbIsohn_731rss-I4TeQ/s1600/facebook.png" /></strong></a></span></span></span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-62064269760052750422014-02-26T18:42:00.001-08:002014-11-16T10:51:21.828-08:00Oscars-Inspired Looks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxpXw_KINvYuQvC6HDg8v7GVF6IJ-hgOqZS9jSNyjggA3EP6_8A_tZ2vuGNtgC9QeuKqos2VrhzakmFVLwf6hHIMiX3Dl_sfcGYK_BKtiqSG1JjMXSbZ006h7arJsCok5nkjWimy35KE/s1600/162598913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxpXw_KINvYuQvC6HDg8v7GVF6IJ-hgOqZS9jSNyjggA3EP6_8A_tZ2vuGNtgC9QeuKqos2VrhzakmFVLwf6hHIMiX3Dl_sfcGYK_BKtiqSG1JjMXSbZ006h7arJsCok5nkjWimy35KE/s400/162598913.jpg" height="640" width="460" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We all want to know the secrets to how the stars get that red carpet glow. With the Oscars this week, I interviewed a celebrity makeup artist about Oscars</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-inspired looks to do at home. Check out the </span><a href="http://youtu.be/O-6CpbcToBQ" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">video</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> below. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We also answer beauty questions you've asked on my </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Facebook page</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Flaking mascara? Dark undereye circles? Solutions to those problems and more for an A-list look - anytime you feel like it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-52475122054756009922014-02-04T19:23:00.004-08:002014-11-15T13:35:08.743-08:00Daring to Stay in the Race<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4BUx4No_Hd6dvhjXEwHQJ_MvWZugZgak3KujuYk3Q6eQIXDxvGRJltDNf6mxYCzh4EZ2L0MNLZpgzCJd2Mm8M-fpoTFJJu29ckL0trCj26FZNKhnpfTEShY-Tl9Ao7BI8J1zkjwkBCU/s1600/1904029_10152193805660890_1671539006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4BUx4No_Hd6dvhjXEwHQJ_MvWZugZgak3KujuYk3Q6eQIXDxvGRJltDNf6mxYCzh4EZ2L0MNLZpgzCJd2Mm8M-fpoTFJJu29ckL0trCj26FZNKhnpfTEShY-Tl9Ao7BI8J1zkjwkBCU/s1600/1904029_10152193805660890_1671539006_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">getting on-camera ready</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's been almost a year since I left my day job to pursue TV hosting and acting full-time in Hollywood. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ironically, I hadn't planned to quit my marketing job that day. In fact, my boss and I were meeting to discuss my big promotion. But as we talked, I just got this sense of...seaweed. wrapping around my body. suffocating. salty tears. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then I heard this quiet, wavering voice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>I think I need to give you notice.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />Was that my voice?!? Give up my private office with the dual monitors? Company happy hours? Secret stash of neon Post-it notes? No way. I need security. I need stability. <br />
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I need...freedom...to chase a dream that won't. go. away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And then my boss, saying: </span><em style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Don't be a fool.</em><br />
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<br />So incredibly foolish throwing away a golden opportunity...except when the opportunity is killing something inside that refuses to let you be happy until you find courage to embrace it.</span><br />
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<em>This might be the most foolish thing I've ever done...b</em><em>ut I need to leave.</em><br />
<br />It was finished. I was leaving the small company I had helped build the last five years.</span><br />
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Has it been tough? Absolutely. Do I regret my decision? Absolutely not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Of course, there have been costs. Not gonna lie - I miss the little extravagances that don't come with a downsized budget. Spa mani/pedis. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Victoria's Secret</i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> body wash. Salon shampoo. But those luxuries don't matter much in the big picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Of course, there are greater sacrifices - the emotional kind. Loneliness (even if you don't miss your former boss' wakeup calls!). Feeling misunderstood; friends seem to think you're "unemployed" and should be available 24/7. Self-doubt. Feelings of rejection when you get passed over - after <i>four </i>call-backs - for a part you were 100% right for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">At times it's just downright scary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">You know, money scary. I'm one of those people who likes to pay my bills all on the same day every month, no worries about late or skipped payments. Goodbye to that system without a direct deposit. And the car? It'll have to wait for that timing belt. But, Lord, what if it breaks down on the way to an audition?! Then the phone falls out of your pocket. And shatters...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">But when breakthroughs come, well, those are priceless. Booking a TV pilot. Getting published on big <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life/" target="_blank">websites</a>. And today, waiting to hear back about the hugest network audition of my life, one I could never have imagined. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And of course, it's confidential for now. </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So you can't even share the victory of finally getting in the room...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Some days the greatest success is just having dared to stay in the race. Is it worth it? You bet your purple pedicure.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_-3FP1IklKBtivDLGlrLYgyeXD8K6o1hs4kTZnwg_LV1xsMAYrFi0ERHtMR1E2uzgOrcSbJUIyYzwd02m4cyB52IsbEQ7Zacx4eBul1H-PZMoWPjJkr9rpyqodrMepKpYcNXAH-ACew/s1600/facebook.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_-3FP1IklKBtivDLGlrLYgyeXD8K6o1hs4kTZnwg_LV1xsMAYrFi0ERHtMR1E2uzgOrcSbJUIyYzwd02m4cyB52IsbEQ7Zacx4eBul1H-PZMoWPjJkr9rpyqodrMepKpYcNXAH-ACew/s1600/facebook.png" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: magenta; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland">www.facebook.com/shayholland</a></span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-39633004505441852212014-01-17T16:35:00.001-08:002014-11-22T10:42:08.359-08:00Get Fit. Get Gorgeous!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEu7XiszQaZkpjnpzxCbsEXv7KONNJNyinpxjITfoyT5uT0W4pUymLSizQ9irq5ImGxNd8o-7IzVJqBQyoEPvEVl7cML_4Gm0ZUvJ9VUS6eiyhSipjXczR3LkCpKT4VzMCNGDTw0e1d0/s1600/get+fit+get+gorgeous+cover+photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEu7XiszQaZkpjnpzxCbsEXv7KONNJNyinpxjITfoyT5uT0W4pUymLSizQ9irq5ImGxNd8o-7IzVJqBQyoEPvEVl7cML_4Gm0ZUvJ9VUS6eiyhSipjXczR3LkCpKT4VzMCNGDTw0e1d0/s1600/get+fit+get+gorgeous+cover+photo.png" height="281" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hop on over to my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland" target="_blank"><i>Facebook</i> page</a> and check out a special beauty offer and my latest video with celeb beauty expert <a href="http://www.danawaldie.com/" target="_blank">Dana Waldie</a>. We're getting fit <em>and</em> gorgeous! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here's the video below (or here on <a href="http://youtu.be/H5pkkkx6Ifo" target="_blank">YouTube</a>):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Also working on another article about the critical role of detoxing unhealthy emotions to help lose weight. You can read some of my previous articles on the health and fitness site, <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/" target="_blank"><i>Feel Rich</i></a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Doing a little change each day will make a big difference. Let's do this!</span> </div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span></a>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-65371605707505872352014-01-08T16:55:00.002-08:002014-11-15T13:39:29.399-08:00Dreams Fulfilled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Whether or not you believe dreams mean anything, I want to share one that carried a message I know wasn't just for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">In the dream, I was standing at the back of a huge auditorium filled with people. Hopeful dreamers, we had all come to try out for a single part in a story being brought to life by one of the world's most famous directors, a Steven Spielberg type.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The part was so crucial that the director himself had come to cast it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">An assistant gave us unusual instructions. The audition would require no performance from us, not a single line. As our name was called, we were simply to come stand in front of the director and his team.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">As person after person was called, the director quickly dismissed them with a polite, "No thanks."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">After hours of waiting, I decided to leave since I was in the back of the room. But just then my name was called. I was having trouble getting through the crowd and the assistant was about to call the next name. Then the director spotted me and waited until I reached the mark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I didn't have time to compose myself but knew where to stand after seeing so many others go before me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The director gazed at me and then said softly, <i>You're the one.</i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">He seemed to know that I had been waiting years for a turn that had never come. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">In a gentle voice, he said: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><i>Young lady, you need to know that when the honest cry of your heart is married to heaven's intentions, nothing can stop your dreams from coming true.</i><br />
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When I woke up, I could almost hear the words again. <em>When the honest cry of your heart is married to heaven's intentions...</em><br />
<br />
---<br />
Praying you see doors open and dreams fulfilled in 2014!<br />
</span><br />
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</span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-34931625332815547202013-12-13T17:04:00.002-08:002014-11-16T10:51:42.444-08:00Awards Season & Body Image Video<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5chd2CD0A_E6LrfxhdwPwga51D8N-gsB8ZJ7K2geLZ3heo-fXetlkKVxod550WF5hVbfO0w9agUZVvgiixqldRXUJa_Vbf8etSybE3tfyRISABSO2tmIe9rxQp0xn3ltz2pDse-tEBc/s1600/1471163_640269892662350_443970024_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5chd2CD0A_E6LrfxhdwPwga51D8N-gsB8ZJ7K2geLZ3heo-fXetlkKVxod550WF5hVbfO0w9agUZVvgiixqldRXUJa_Vbf8etSybE3tfyRISABSO2tmIe9rxQp0xn3ltz2pDse-tEBc/s1600/1471163_640269892662350_443970024_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attending a screening of 'August: Osage County' with George Clooney, Julia Roberts & cast </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's that time of year again - Hollywood awards season! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The studios host screenings to boost their film's chances to take home statues at the <em><a href="http://www.oscars.com/" target="_blank">Oscars</a>, <a href="http://www.sagawards.com/" target="_blank">SAG Awards</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.goldenglobes.com/" target="_blank">Golden Globes</a></em> and more. Being a member of the <a href="http://www.sag.com/" target="_blank"><em>Screen Actors Guild</em></a><em> </em>pays for itself this time of year when invites outnumber spam in the inbox.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My co-host, <a href="http://www.danikabrysha.com/" target="_blank">Danika Brysha</a>, and I sat a few feet from George Clooney, Julia Roberts and cast members of <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322269" target="_blank">August: Osage County</a></em> at a recent screening. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Danika and I were celebrating our last night together in LA since she's heading East to rock the plus size modeling world. Before she left, we shot this video on handling body image issues. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qJeWp-9jJ5U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've written pretty extensively on the topic here in my blog since it's been an on-going struggle for me and I know for many of you. You can read more by clicking "body image" on the topics section. Also, I'm contributing to the health and fitness site, <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/" target="_blank">Feel Rich</a>, so check that out for ideas about becoming your best self. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Have a fabulous holiday season!</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland">www.facebook.com/shayholland</a></span>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-4974893255727683102013-12-02T16:38:00.002-08:002014-11-14T19:50:12.084-08:00'Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life' Article Published!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season! Wanted to share some exciting news. My article, "Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life," is on the front of the health and fitness website, <em><a href="http://www.feelrich.com/" target="_blank">Feel Rich</a>. Feel Rich</em> is run by music mogul Quincy Jones' son to promote health as the new wealth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Check out the full article here: <a href="http://www.feelrich.com/2013/11/21/throw-away-your-scale-to-lose-weight-for-life/" target="_blank">Throw Away Your Scale to Lose Weight for Life</a>. Thanks for your support everyone!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/shayholland"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">www.facebook.com/shayholland</span></a>Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8139864511994819132.post-53603467072441627372013-11-07T20:16:00.000-08:002014-11-21T20:22:21.075-08:00The Image in the Mirror<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjajX9hn2bf3wcTnJVNlx2iKf-7nGUbOlZjZudKhpLbpIdO3QIlXKWHrel9bNmjkPsj4c2zV8K48iTPWdfyoG_URsTxYWpOyOUIfu_kZ2gIP0zhNkl8fDMba9eUF8ATyfPVsEWlP57Kk/s1600/Danika+and+Shay+for+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjajX9hn2bf3wcTnJVNlx2iKf-7nGUbOlZjZudKhpLbpIdO3QIlXKWHrel9bNmjkPsj4c2zV8K48iTPWdfyoG_URsTxYWpOyOUIfu_kZ2gIP0zhNkl8fDMba9eUF8ATyfPVsEWlP57Kk/s400/Danika+and+Shay+for+fb.jpg" height="468" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Thrilled to be shooting a web series with <a href="http://www.wilhelmina.com/" target="_blank">Wilhelmina Models</a> <a href="http://www.danikabrysha.com/" target="_blank">Danika Brysha</a>! Danika's a plus-size model helping girls and women fight eating disorders and body image issues. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I think every woman wrestles with the reflection in the mirror at some time. At my <a href="http://www.blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2009/09/blot-your-lips-and-other-lessons.html" target="_blank">first TV job</a>, viewers would tell me I was too fat. To my face. And then I'd go home and look in a mirror that also condemned me...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">I still don't own a full length mirror. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I've written about the pressure to be thin in TV before and how it nearly sabotaged my career (click <a href="http://www.blotyourlips.blogspot.com/2013/03/camera-shy-tips-to-photograph-like.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read) but I've never really shared the depth of the issue. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">That's why I love partnering with Danika - because she's so vulnerable and honest about her journey as you'll see in our latest video:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We plan to shoot a few videos before she heads to New York to take her modeling career to the next level. We'd love your feedback and check out my Facebook page for more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />Shay Holland http://www.blogger.com/profile/05960483851766820754noreply@blogger.com0